Cigarettes and bloodwork
August 9, 2009 10:04 PM   Subscribe

If I smoke a cigarette will it affect my bloodwork?

I'm having some bloodwork done (for a standard physical) at 11am ET. I was told not to eat, etc. I smoke 4-5 cigarettes a week. If I have a cigarette now (10 hours before), will it negatively affect my bloodwork at all?

Male in my twenties, in good health.
posted by j1950 to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)
 
Best answer: No. (I've been practicing medicine for 15 years.)
posted by neuron at 10:30 PM on August 9, 2009


The main reason you would be asked not to eat before a blood workup would be if they will be taking a reading on your cholesterol levels.
posted by longsleeves at 10:33 PM on August 9, 2009


If you're going to claim you don't smoke and it's an insurance physical, they will test you for cotinine from memory. Which will show up.

If it's just fasting for a blood test that your gp has ordered for your general well-being, then as neuron says, no, it's fine.
posted by taff at 11:12 PM on August 9, 2009


The main reason you would be asked not to eat before a blood workup would be if they will be taking a reading on your cholesterol levels.

Just in case anyone cares, fasting doesn't notably impact your HDL/LDL levels. It's your triglyceride levels that elevate after eating and can't be effectively tested w/o fasting.
posted by phearlez at 7:46 AM on August 10, 2009


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